Plus que Strougatskis

[Derek C. Maus]

Nicole Stagter wrote:

> Heartfelt thanks to the P-lister (I think it was Derek Maus) who,
> quite some time ago, mentioned that Tarkovsky's Stalker was
> based on a novel by the Strugatskii brothers. Being a big fan of
> Stalker (unlike some on this list, I seem to remember), I've been
> on the lookout for the book ever since. And I finally found it!
> Read it every bit as avidly as the happy HP4 owners.

Dave Monroe, recently, and someone else in the more distant past (was it
you calbert?) have also extolled the virtues of Roadside Picnic.
Unfortunately, the archives are a little squiffy right now and I can't
find the original conversation.

Macmillan published a number of good translations of Strugatskii brothers'
works in the 1907s and 1980s that are still fairly readily available on
the used book market (www.abebooks.com or www.bibliofind.com or
www.alibris.com or...). I'd recommend _The Ugly Swans_, _Hard to Be a God_
and _Noon: 22nd Century_ along with _Roadside Picnic/Tale of a Troika_
(which Nicole has apparently already purchased...the second story is as
good, albeit very different, as the first) and _Definitely Maybe_.

To play the Amazon.com game for a moment more, if you like Harlan Ellison,
you'll like Boris and Arkady Strugatskii. They're in my dissertation along
with TRP, so I guess you could make a direct connection, as well (we shall
see...).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Derek C. Maus               |   "Heck, I reckon you wouldn't even be
dmaus at email.unc.edu         |   human beings if you didn't have some 
UNC-CH, Dept. of English    |   pretty strong feelings about nuclear
http://www.unc.edu/~dmaus/  |   combat."  --Major Kong, DR. STRANGELOVE
-----------------------------------------------------------------------